Holiday Goddess Aries Recipe
Arian countries include England and Israel. Aries is ruled by the planet of war, Mars, and both countries have a martial spirit, with well-trained armies. Red and white are the Arian colours: blood and bandages. They like strong, intense flavours. Aries is a fire sign, so spicy, red and fried foods are a favourite.
Here is a recipe for Shakshouka (which means a ‘mixture’), a Middle Eastern dish popular in North African countries and also Israel. My recipe is a little more spicy than usual. If you don’t like eggs, this dish is also delicious with soft tofu chunks. You could say that eggs in general are Arian, as they are the baby of the zodiac, the first sign.
Spicy Shakshouka
When I visited Israel, I often had this for breakfast or brunch. It’s simple and quick to make. Serve with bread, either flatbread or crusty baguette. Ras el hanout is a spice mixture containing cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, cardamom and sometimes rose petals. It is now available in most supermarkets, but replace with smoky paprika if desired.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced finely
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout spice mixture
• 1 (400ml) tin of tomatoes, crushed
• 1 or 2 red chilli peppers, whole if dried, or sliced finely if fresh
• Salt to taste
• 4 eggs
• Handful chopped parsley or coriander
Instructions
• Heat up the oil in the pan to a medium temperature, then add the onions and red pepper and fry until the onion is soft and the red pepper is slightly caramelised.
• Add the garlic and ras el hanout spice, stir briefly then add the tomatoes and chilli pepper.
• Continue to cook on a medium to low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the eggs, breaking them into the pan one by one. If you want to speed up the cooking of the eggs, add a cover or lid.
• Garnish with parsley or coriander. Serve with bread.
